


Consequences

by jackabelle73



Category: Glee
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-16
Updated: 2015-07-16
Packaged: 2018-04-09 15:49:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4354952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jackabelle73/pseuds/jackabelle73
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Kurt and Blaine's trip to Scandals were known by the wrong person? </p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was my very first Glee fanfic (aside from an itty-bitty drabble which I recently remembered and may post next). It was written in Nov 2011, shortly after "The First Time" aired, so keep in mind which canon events happened about then. 
> 
> Warning for the presence of Finn in this fic. It was written long before Cory's passing.

"Hummel Tires and Lube.” 

“Well hello there, Paul Bunyan.  This is your erstwhile political opponent, just giving you a heads-up.  At exactly 5:04 pm, my new ‘Vote for Sue’ ad will air for the first time on Channel 9.  Thought you might be interested.” 

Burt tried to keep his voice even.  “I’m sure you’re enjoying this, Sue, but I don’t really have the time.  I have one more vehicle to deal with and then I’m going home to eat dinner with my family.” 

“Ahh, yes.  The family.”  He could almost see the way her eyes lit up maliciously.  “Speaking of, do you know where your son is right now?”  
   
He glanced across the shop to where Finn and Kurt were under the hood of a Ford SUV.  “Yeah, I know exactly where BOTH my sons are.” 

“And do you know where Porcelain was last Wednesday night?  About…..10:00 pm?”  Burt was silent, glancing across the shop again at the boys working.   “The ad airs in five minutes.  You don’t want to miss it.” With that, Sue hung up. 

Burt stood with the cordless phone in his hand for a moment before pressing the end call button and setting it down.  He walked into his messy office at the back of the shop and turned on the small TV on the corner of the desk.  He had to move a pile of invoices out of the way before the screen was fully visible.  He picked up the remote.  Oh-nine-select.  Once the picture flickered into life on the scratched screen, he stepped back to the office door.

“Kurt?  Come here a sec.” 

His son approached in his shop coveralls, wiping his hands on a shop rag.  “Yeah, dad?  We really need to get this last job done.  Blaine’s coming over for dinner at 6 and you know I won’t let him see me like this.” 

Burt didn’t answer, just looked at him steadily. 

“Uh, dad?”  Now Kurt looked wary. 

“Kurt, you have about--”  He glanced at the clock above the desk.  “You have two minutes to tell me yourself where you were and what you were doing on Wednesday night.”  He watched Kurt’s eyes widen, a flush rise in his cheeks.  “And if you don’t want to tell me, I have a hunch that Sue Sylvester’s new campaign ad WILL tell me—in one minute.”  Burt pointed to the TV without taking his eyes off his son. 

For a moment, Kurt seemed to hold his breath.  Then his chin lifted.  His voice was soft but steady.  “Blaine and I—we went to—to Scandals.”  
   
Burt sucked in a breath.  He had no idea what that was, but even the name sounded like bad news.   “And what exactly is Scandals?”

Kurt’s gaze held steady, with a look that Burt couldn’t quite place.  “It’s a gay bar.  In West Lima.”  He was staring at Burt now, and suddenly he realized that he did know what that look meant.  It was a challenge.  Another challenge in a seemingly endless series of them, testing the limits of his tolerance in having a gay son. 

While Burt was trying to figure out how to respond, Sue Sylvester’s mocking face filled the TV screen.  He raised the remote still in his hand and turned the volume up. 

******************** 

“Blaine!”  Kurt whisper-yelled into his cell as soon as his boyfriend picked up.  “Blaine, turn around!  Don’t come to dinner tonight!  You do not want to be around my dad right now!”  He stood in his room, trying to strip out of his shop clothes while holding the phone.  Losing patience, he punched the speaker button and dropped the phone on his bed. 

“Kurt?”  Blaine’s voice came through the phone, muffled by the speaker being pressed against the comforter.  “What’s wrong?” 

“He knows, Blaine!”  Kurt can hear himself getting hysterical and tried to curb it, taking a deep breath.  
    
Blaine’s sucked-in breath on the phone was clearly audible.  “He—he knows that we……”  His voice strangles a bit at the end. 

Kurt drops onto the bed next to the phone, bending over to unlace his work boots.  “It was on TV, Blaine.  He just saw it about 30 minutes ago at the shop.” 

There was a long silence from the phone.  “Umm, Kurt?  How could it be on TV?  I admit I was distracted, but I’m sure I would have noticed a camera crew in my bedroom that night.”

Kurt flopped back onto his bed, taking another deep breath before reaching down for his phone and bringing it up to speak into it.   In the small corner of his brain that wasn’t freaking out, he noted that he sounded almost normal now.  He toed off his boots as he said, “I’m not talking about that, Blaine.  I’m talking about us going to Scandals.  Sue found out somehow and is using it against my dad in her latest smear campaign.” 

“Oh.”  
   
“So you can see why it wouldn’t be a good idea for you to come to dinner tonight.  My dad’s pretty mad, and remember the time he threatened you with--”  He was interrupted by several hard knocks at the door, and his dad’s voice. 

“Kurt, I really don’t care about your hour-long moisturizing routine right now.  Get cleaned up ASAP and get downstairs.  Will is joining us for dinner so we can discuss damage control."

Kurt drew in a breath, and was dismayed to realize that it felt rather shaky.  He felt the beginnings of panic.  “OK, Dad,” he called back.  His voice was only a few pitches higher than usual.  And then quietly into the phone, “Blaine I’ve gotta go and deal with this.  Just don’t come around here till I give you the all-clear, ok?”  He hung up without waiting for an answer, running for the shower. 

********************

Carole had already designated herself to be the calm one in the midst of the current crisis.   It had taken a few minutes to get a clear story from Burt when he came in, but once she did, she understood why Kurt had run for the safety of his bedroom.  It hadn't stopped Burt from banging on the door to get him back out again.  Now she stood in the kitchen, chopping vegetables for a salad while she listened to Burt rant.    He was cut off by the ringing of the phone. 

“Hello?  Yeah, Jake, I saw it.  Not too pleased with my kid right now.”  The doorbell rang and Burt’s eyes rolled.  “Hold on, someone’s at the door.  Probably coming to ask me in person if I know what he did.” 

Carole motioned for him to stay put, picking up a dish towel to wipe her hands.  “I’ll take care of it,” she mouthed.  She went to the door and opened it, to find Blaine waiting. 

“Blaine.  I’m surprised Kurt didn’t call to warn you off.” 

“He did.  But he didn’t go to that bar alone.”  Carole thought Blaine was more nervous than she’d ever seen him, but was trying valiantly to hide it. 

“Come on in then.  Burt’s in the kitchen.  If you want a chance to speak to Kurt before his dad sees you, I suggest you head up to his room now.” 

“Thanks, Carole.” 

She walked back into the kitchen to find Burt with the phone in his hand, looking more irritated than before.  She walked over, plucked the cordless phone out of his hand, then walked over to the base to unplug the phone cord from the wall. 

“Carole--”

“You don’t need another phone call from a well-intentioned or just plain gossipy friend asking if you’ve seen it.” She laid a hand on his arm till he looked at her, then reached up to pull him to her for a quick hug.  “The only people you really need to discuss this with are either here or on their way.” 

She drew back, waiting till he nodded, then let go.  She returned to the cutting board, picking up a cucumber to continue slicing.  “By the way, that was Blaine at the door.”  She saw Burt jerk from the corner of her eye. 

“That kid’s got some nerve, showing up here.  Where is he?” 

“Burt.”  Carole used her I-mean-business tone.  “Stop and listen to me.  Blaine told me that Kurt called him and told him to stay away tonight.  He came anyway.  Whatever mistakes the two of them made, he came here voluntarily to face you alongside Kurt.  That should count for something, don’t you think?”  
   
She watched while Burt stood there, breathing hard.  Then his shoulders slumped a little.  “OK.  I’ll give the kid credit for that.” 

“Good.” 

“But he’s still in a boatload of trouble, and so is Kurt, whenever they dare to show their faces.” 

“Give them a few minutes.  I sent Blaine up to talk to Kurt before they come down for dinner.”

“You what?  Why?  So they have time to get their stories straight?” 

“Getting their stories straight hardly matters when they were caught on video.  They can’t very well deny that they were in a bar underage.  I just thought they might want a few minutes to brace themselves.” 

“They’re gonna need it.”

*********************** 

Blaine knocked on the door of Kurt’s en suite bathroom.  He couldn’t hear the shower running, so he knew Kurt was done.  “Kurt?  Just letting you know I’m here.” 

There was a shuffling behind the door and Kurt appeared with his hair already styled and a towel wrapped around his waist.  “What the hell, Blaine?  I told you to stay away.  I’m surprised my dad didn’t shoot you on the porch!” 

“Carole let me in,” Blaine said calmly.  He couldn’t help his eyes roaming over Kurt’s chest, but reminded himself this was hardly the time.  “I haven’t seen your dad yet.” 

“Maybe we can sneak you out before he sees you—"

Blaine put up a hand to stop him.  “No, Kurt.  We went to that bar together, we decided to get fake IDs together.  I was the only one who drank, you didn’t.  If anything, I’m more guilty and I’m not going to leave you to face the consequences alone.”  He watched Kurt’s face for his reaction. 

“You rehearsed that speech on the way over, didn’t you?” Kurt asked.  Blaine thought that was humor in his eyes. 

“Well, maybe a little?”  He admitted sheepishly. Kurt laughed outright now.  “Well, your dad IS scary when he wants to be, Kurt.  I had to fortify myself with something, and words were all I could find on short notice.” 

Blaine relaxed a little when Kurt stepped over the threshold to give him a quick kiss on the lips.  
   
“I’m glad you’re here,” Kurt said as he passed by Blaine to get dressed.  He reached into the top drawer of his dresser for boxers and then disappeared into his walk-in closet.  Blaine felt a stab of disappointment when he realized that Kurt meant to get dressed in the closet.  It wasn’t like they hadn’t seen each other naked before, but—not the time, not the time, not the time—he chanted in his head.  He waited till Kurt reappeared, walking over to where Blaine sat on the edge of his bed. 

“C’mon then, let’s fortify ourselves.”  Kurt tugged Blaine to his feet and wrapped his arms around his shoulders.  Blaine hugged Kurt close in response and they just leaned together for a moment. 

“KURT!  BLAINE!  Get down here!”  Mr. Hummel’s voice came clearly through the door. 

Blaine felt Kurt sigh with his whole body, his grip loosening as he said, “We better go face the music.”  Blaine tightened his grip on Kurt’s waist. 

“Wait, Kurt.  I just need to ask you one thing.”  Kurt quirked an eyebrow, waiting.  “Umm…..what exactly did that commercial show?  Just us dancing in the club, or…..did it show us when we went outside?”  Blaine knew he must look scared now but couldn’t help it.  He started breathing again when Kurt smiled. 

“No, Blaine.  Just inside.  What happened outside is still between us.” 

Blaine felt his shoulders sag in relief as Kurt pulled him to the door.  “OK.  Good then,” trying for nonchalance.  Then he gave up.  “Oh God Kurt, if I thought your dad had seen that on video, I’d be climbing out your window.” 

Kurt turned to him with a smirk as he opened his bedroom door.  “Courage, Blaine.”    


	2. Chapter 2

"KURT! BLAINE! Get down here!" Burt shouted up the stairs.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Carole shaking her head.

"Burt, please try to stay calm."

"I'll do my best Carole, but I'm not going to let them hide up there till this blows over. They need to come down and talk to me, and I'm not waiting any longer." He looked up from his position at the bottom of the stairs and saw the guilty parties appear, holding hands.

Cute, he thought to himself sarcastically. He really wasn't in the mood to be swayed by their show of solidarity. Though truth be told, there was a part of him that gave thanks every day that Kurt had met Blaine. For his son to have met anyone who could relate to him as an openly gay boy, even if they'd only been friends, would have been a blessing. For his son to have a boyfriend, especially one who made him light up like Blaine did, was something he hadn't thought Kurt would have while still in high school.

Right. They were still in high school, and they'd gone to a bar. They might have ruined his campaign. He gestured to the living room when they stopped in front of them.

"In there, boys. Will's not here yet, Carole's finishing dinner, and I think Finn's hiding in his room thinking this storm might spill over on him. But we need to talk now."

He followed them into the living room and sat in his recliner across from their seat on the couch and addressed Blaine first.

"Blaine, you don't have to be here. You're not my kid to interrogate or discipline." He watched as Blaine glanced at Kurt, then back to meet his eyes.

"No sir, but I won't leave Kurt to face you alone for something we did together." Burt waited, but other than a visible tightening of his hand on Kurt's, Blaine didn't move.

"Alright then. That being the case, do either of you want to tell me what possessed you to go to a bar?"

"It was my idea," Kurt said immediately. Of course, he would try to take the biggest part of the blame.

"Actually, it was Sebastian's idea," Blaine clarified. Burt saw that look on Kurt's face, the one he wore when he didn't like something and was trying not to show it. But he knew his son well.

"But I was the one who said yes to going," Kurt added.

"Why, Kurt? That doesn't seem like your kind of thing. You told me you had no interest in alcohol after that time you puked on your counselor's shoes. You said if drinking booze put your wardrobe in danger, you wanted no part of it."

"It wasn't about drinking, Dad," Kurt said. "I had a Shirley Temple."

"What about you?" Burt leveled his gaze at Blaine. "Did you have a Shirley Temple, too?" He watched Blaine's normally olive complexion pale.

"Uh, no sir. I had a…..a beer," he confessed. "One beer," he said with emphasis.

Burt's only response to that was to make a harrumphing sound. After a moment, he asked, "So if it wasn't about the drinking, what was it about?" He watched as the boys glanced at each other again, as Kurt started to answer then closed his mouth. It wasn't often that his son was at a loss for words. "Alright, I'll ask a different question. Who is Sebastian?"

"He's a new member of the Warblers, sir," Blaine answered. He'd told Blaine weeks ago that he could call him Burt, but he seemed to have reverted to formality. Under the circumstances, Burt wasn't about to correct him. "I went to Dalton to visit the Warblers, and invite them to West Side Story, that's when I met him. Kurt and I had coffee with him and he mentioned this…place he knew."

Burt didn't bother asking if Sebastian was gay as well. If the kid had sent them to a gay bar, Burt would assume without guilt.

"How'd you get in?" he asked.

Kurt flinched. "Fake IDs," he answered.

"And where'd you get them?"

"Sebastian," Blaine confessed.

"I'm not liking the sound of this Sebastian," Burt grumbled.

He saw that look on Kurt's face again, and heard him mumble something that he thought was 'join the club.' He'd have to remember to ask Kurt more about that later.

"So you got into a bar with fake IDs, at least one of you was drinking underage," he glared at Blaine who quickly looked down, "any other broken laws I should know about?"

"No sir," they answered simultaneously.

"So the next question is," his voice was rising now, "do you two have any idea about the amount of damage you may have done to my campaign? A campaign, I'll remind you, that I'm only running because I didn't want to see my sons AND their friends lose the arts programs in their school?"

"I'm sorry, Dad!" Kurt burst out. "I'm sorry, I never meant for this to happen!"

"So what did you mean, Kurt?" Burt was on his feet now. "What did you think would be accomplished by going to a bar? You said you weren't there to drink, I'm gonna assume neither of you were there to pick up guys since you went together, what else do two teenagers sneak into a bar for?"

"I think I might know," came Finn's voice from the doorway.

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Crap, what'd I just do? Finn thought. He hadn't really wanted to jump into the middle of this mess. He'd been hanging out in his room, trying to avoid all of it (well, maybe he'd Googled the political ad out of curiosity), but he got hungry and came down to see if dinner was ready yet. And he heard Burt asking why they did it, and well…..his mouth got ahead of his brain. Not the first time.

And now the three of them were looking at him, waiting, and he heard his mom walk up behind him. She passed him with a light touch on his arm and went to stand next to Burt. He looked at all of them, finally choosing to focus on Kurt.

"I saw Sue's ad on Youtube, sorry bro, it's already up there," he said to Kurt. "I think Sue put it up herself."

"Doesn't she ever let up?" Blaine asked Kurt softly. Kurt shook his head.

Burt was looking at Finn expectantly. "You got a theory on why these two would risk my campaign to hang out in a bar?"

"Yeah, maybe." Finn was starting to regret speaking up, but he took a breath and continued. "It wasn't just a bar, Burt, it was a gay bar."

"Yeah, so?"

"Don't you see? They can be themselves there."

"And they can't here?" Burt asked, looking as though he was losing patience.

Finn hesitated. "Well, kinda but…..don't get me wrong Burt, you're a great dad, but you can be kinda intimidating. I wouldn't want you to walk in on me and Rachel making out, and you're way more protective of Kurt, maybe cause you changed his diapers or something."

"Finn!" Kurt burst out, a horrified expression on his face. Finn saw his brother glance at Blaine, who had his lips pressed tightly together. Kurt whispered something to him through clenched teeth. Finn couldn't hear what it was, but Kurt's expression was threatening.

"Chill, Kurt," Finn said. "I'm just saying that you're his baby."

"Not helping, Finn." Kurt turned that expression from his boyfriend to him, and Finn saw his mom cover a smile. Great, she thinks this whole thing is cute.

"Your point, Finn?" Burt asked, looking exasperated.

Oh yeah. Making a point. Finn paused a second, then looked at Burt directly.

"I don't think Kurt and Blaine ever really relax around you, Burt. And I've seen them at school, they're even more uptight there. Other couples make out in the halls, but they hardly even touch each other. They relax a little in Glee, only a little, because they know everyone in there is totally cool. But everywhere else…I mean, I saw them at prom last year, they didn't even dance there! They don't get to be a couple the way other kids do." Finn stopped and looked over at the couch, where Kurt and Blaine sat quietly, eyes on him. "But on that commercial of Sue's, in that bar, they were dancing together. And they didn't even look scared. They looked…..like they were just having fun. Like any other couple, y'know?"

He was still looking at the pair of them as he finished, and saw them look at each other and then back to him with what he thought was gratitude on their faces. And then he felt good about speaking up, because Kurt was his brother and brothers stuck up for each other, right? And he had been kind of a jerk to Blaine since he'd joined New Directions.

He looked back at his mom and Burt. His mom looked…..proud. So yeah, he must've said something right. And Burt just looked like he was thinking. The doorbell broke the silence.

"That should be Will," his mom said, moving to answer the door.

"Great!" Finn exclaimed, forgetting about politics and family loyalties. "That means we can eat now, right?"

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Kurt was walking through the front hallway with Blaine as Mr. Schue came in. He was still standing in the entryway, letting Carole take his coat as he held out a hand to stop them.

"Kurt! Blaine!" Kurt tried not to cringe just because the last time their names got called it had led them to an unpleasant scene. But Mr. Schue didn't seem to want to yell at them. "How old are you both?" he asked excitedly.

"Uh, I just turned eighteen, why?" Kurt couldn't fathom why he looked disappointed. Mr. Schue turned to Blaine.

"Blaine, you're a junior, please tell me you haven't turned eighteen yet."

"No, I'm seventeen. Won't be eighteen till next summer." Blaine looked confused too.

"Thank…..God," Mr. Schue drew the phrase out, closing his eyes in apparent relief.

"Will, what's going on?" Carole asked.

"I checked the campaign rules," Mr. Schue spoke to Kurt's dad now. "Sue broke the rules by using a minor in her ad without parental consent. Since Blaine's under eighteen, we can petition the Board of Elections to have the ad pulled."

There was a general whooping from the group crowded into the front hall. Kurt hugged Blaine close in relief, only to be spun around by Finn.

"Hi five me, dude!" Too happy to protest being called dude, Kurt willingly slapped his palm against Finn's, who then held up his hand to Blaine for another hi five. "Who'da thought that dating a younger guy would come in handy, huh?" Finn asked, earning a shove from Kurt that was more playful than annoyed.

"We'll have to remember the advantage our ages gave us, when we're separated next year," Blaine murmured to him. Kurt shot him a dirty look, because he did not want to be reminded of another depressing reality right now.

"That's good news, Will," his dad said, smiling for the first time all evening. "But the ad has aired at least once; we know some people saw it. We still have to do damage control."

"True. We still have an uphill battle and we know Sue isn't going to suddenly stop fighting dirty," Mr. Schuester admitted. "But maybe we can minimize the damage."

"Why don't we discuss damage control over dinner?" Carole asked, gesturing to the dining room.

"Great plan! I'm starved!" Finn was the first one through the door, followed by Mr. Schue and Carole, telling him about the heart-healthy lasagna that she'd made.

"Kurt, just a moment." His dad's voice pulled him up short.

Blaine stopped with him, but Kurt gave him a nudge toward the dining room. "Go ahead, I'll be right there." Kurt felt Blaine's fingers brush his own before he nodded and walked away. Kurt turned to face his dad.

"This isn't over, Kurt." His dad looked calm now, but his eyes were serious. "You're still in trouble, and you and I have a few things to discuss later."

"I know Dad," Kurt said softly. "I'm really, really sorry."

His dad nodded. "Ya know, it occurs to me that this family has never really been in this position before. We've never needed to worry about our private business getting on TV for the world to see. But we're there now, and I think we should sit down as a family to discuss protocols. Given recent events, I think Blaine should be there too, and I'll ask Finn to invite Rachel over."

Kurt nodded, then couldn't help grinning as he pictured his dad trying to run a serious family meeting with Rachel Berry in the room.

"Dad, you realize that if you invite Rachel over, you'll be lucky to get a word in edgewise?"

"Yeah, I know," his dad grinned back, putting an arm over Kurt's shoulders to guide him to the dining room. "You own a lot of scarves, right? Think we can use one of those to gag her?"


	3. Chapter 3

_“Hello Ohio voters…….Congressional candidate Sue Sylvester here.  My opponent Burt Hummel has tried to convince you that we need the arts in schools.  Well, I say the arts are gay.  G-A-Y, GAY.  The only reason Burt Hummel is such a big supporter is because his son is the queerest kid in the entire state of Ohio.”  A kaleidoscope of rainbows sprayed across the screen in a fireworks pattern.  Those faded away to show Kurt and Blaine dancing enthusiastically in a darkened room.   A few other men could be seen in the background, dancing or playing pool.  Blaine twirled Kurt around, ending with Kurt’s back to him. Kurt shimmied down, then stood up and spun around again to face Blaine, putting hands on his hips to pull him in for a quick kiss.  Blaine laughed and yanked Kurt closer, arms wrapped around him.  They weren’t so much dancing now, as hugging close as they swayed slowly.  Sue’s face came back on screen. “There’s the proof, Ohio voters.  Kurt Hummel and his boyfriend in a scandalous gay bar, bumping and grinding their little fairy hearts out. You may be wondering, Ohio voters, how could Burt Hummel’s son—who is still in high school—get into a bar legally?  He can’t. You need to know what kind of man is asking to represent you, Ohio.  The kind of man who only supports the arts because his son can’t live without his Liza Minnelli collection, but can’t keep same said son from breaking the law.  And if my opponent can’t even keep watch on his teenage son, how can you expect him to keep watch on the needs and concerns of his Ohio constituents? Consider the evidence carefully, Ohio voters.”  A winged fairy with Kurt’s face flew into the center of the screen and waved a wand, followed by another shower of rainbows as the ad ended._

   
Everyone was silent as the screen went black, with only the distant sounds of Finn loading the dishwasher carrying into the living room.

Carole looked at her husband first, to find his eyes still fixed on the TV even though there was nothing to see.  He looked contemplative.  Next she looked over to Kurt and Blaine to see their reaction.  Kurt looked calmer than she expected, but then she knew he’d already seen the ad once.  Blaine stood on the other side of Kurt.  His eyes were wide, fixed on Burt like a mouse under flimsy cover might eye a cat that just came into view. 

“Well!”  Will’s voice broke into her thoughts.  “That’s that.  So how do we respond?”

“First things first,” Burt responded.  He finally took his eyes off the blank TV screen and turned to the boys.  “You two still have those fake IDs?”  They both nodded.  “Hand ‘em over.”  Blaine took a driver’s license from his wallet, while Kurt simply withdrew his from his jeans pocket.  He must have expected this, Carole thought. 

Burt studied both IDs for a moment before looking up.  “Hawaii, Kurt?  If you bleached your hair you could pass for an albino, and someone actually believed you’re from Hawaii?”

Kurt shrugged.  “It was pretty dark in there, Dad.” 

“Just how dark was it?”  Carole asked.  “Because I’m wondering how you boys didn’t notice someone filming you.  And how Sue was able to sneak a camera in there.” 

“I have a theory on that,” Blaine spoke directly to her, then looked at Kurt.  “I think it was the Ginger.  She was standing about where it looks like that video was filmed, and from the angle—I think there was a camera hidden in her hair.  She had enough of it that she could have had one of those little spy cameras in there.” 

Carole watched comprehension show on Kurt’s face.  “I think you’re right,” he said.

“Wait, there was a woman in a gay bar?” Burt asked. 

“And Blaine, you should know that ginger can be a derogatory way to describe a redhead,” Schue told him. 

“No, not a red-headed woman.  It was a man dressed as Ginger from Gilligan’s Island,” Kurt explained.   Carole opened her mouth but couldn’t think what to say.  “What?”  Kurt asked in response to what Carole imagined were probably befuddled looks on all three adults’ faces. “It was drag queen Wednesday.” 

Burt found his voice first.   “Of course it was,” he muttered. 

“Alright, let’s get serious.”  Carole raised her voice.  “Will, how soon do you think you can get the ad taken off the air?” 

“I can’t even lodge the protest until offices open in the morning,” he answered.  “But even if we can get it pulled tomorrow, we have to assume that some voters will see it tonight.  And Finn said it’s on Youtube.  I don’t know if campaign laws have caught up to technology yet, there may not be a specific rule against inappropriate ads on Youtube.  But we’ll do what we can.” 

“So who thinks the best plan is to just ignore this and hope it blows over?” Burt asked. 

Carole looked to Kurt and Blaine for their reaction.  They were silent, looking like they wished it would all go away that easily but knowing better. 

“I don’t think so, Burt.”  All eyes turned to her. “We all know that Sue won’t let it just blow over.  I think we should face this head-on.” 

“What do you have in mind?” Burt asked. 

Carole took a moment to gather her thoughts, glancing at Kurt and Blaine again before looking back at her husband.  “The other night, at Breadstix—you told Kurt you were proud of him and didn’t care who knew it.” 

“Yeah, I did.” 

“So I say, put Kurt out there.  Other political candidates show off their families during their campaigns.  Why shouldn’t you?”

Burt was already nodding.  “I think you’re right, Carole.  My bid was so last minute that I hadn’t really thought about bringing the boys into it, but you’re right.  We should bring Kurt and Finn to that fundraising dinner this Saturday.” He looked over at Kurt.  “Think you can handle that?” 

Kurt was starting to smile.  “Yeah, Dad.  I’ll be a model citizen, I promise.  I’ll even leave my pixie dust at home,” he said with a smile.  Everyone chuckled.  “And…..I’ll take Finn shopping before Saturday, because I’ve been through his closet and there’s nothing in there appropriate for an event this important.”  Kurt was in his element now, Carole could tell.  She could almost see him mentally going through his closet, trying to decide what to wear. 

“I think that’s a great plan, Carole,” Will said.  “But let’s take it one step further.”  Everyone turned to him with questioning looks. “There’s going to be a small stage set up, right?  And a sound system for Burt’s address?  I think you should have both boys sing something.  I’ll help them prepare.” 

“Dad, you know I never turn down a chance to perform,” Kurt said.  “But Sue’s commercial went on and on about how the arts are gay.  Do you really want the voters’ first impression of your sons to be them getting up on a stage and singing?  Will that help your cause?” 

“I think,” Burt said, looking at Carole, “that not only should you all be there, I think that Blaine and Rachel should come too. Finn and Rachel should sing a duet.”  He looked at Kurt and Blaine now.  “And the two of you should sing something together.”

Carole watched the boys’ eyes widen, watched them look at each other and then back to Burt. 

“I’d love to sing with Kurt, Mr. Hummel,” Blaine said hesitantly.  “But…..” 

“Are you sure you want to go there, Dad?”  Kurt asked.  “Not everyone in that audience will be as open-minded as we’d like them to be.  Having Blaine and I sing together…..it might lose you votes.”

“And if they’re that petty, I don’t want their votes,” Burt responded emphatically.  “Your mom just reminded me of why I married her.  Nothing’s more important than our family, and we’re not going to hide our kids away like we’re ashamed of them.  You kids pick out your songs, and you kick butt on that stage.  The voters can react how they want.” 

“Thanks, Dad.” Kurt was grinning. “Even if it goes wrong this Saturday—thanks.” 

Carole watched Burt’s expression change.  “Don’t be so quick to thank me.  We haven’t discussed your punishment yet for that stunt you pulled.” 

Kurt’s face fell, and Blaine started to look nervous again. 

“Will, why don’t you and I go talk to Finn in the kitchen,” she said, motioning him ahead. “We haven’t even asked him if he and Rachel want to sing on Saturday.”

Will laughed as he started out of the room with her.  “When it comes to Rachel and a chance to perform, I don’t think Finn gets a vote.”

Carole looked back from the doorway to see Burt crossing his arms and studying the two boys standing a few feet in front of him.  “Brace yourselves,” she murmured, too softly for them to hear, then followed Will into the kitchen.   

 

* * *

   
“Kurt.  In the living room.” 

Kurt looked up from his position slouched against the inside of the door.  The same door he’d just closed behind his boyfriend, who he wouldn’t see except at school for two weeks.  Two whole weeks.  He wasn’t even allowed to talk to him on the phone, or text, or chat online.  At least he knew now they’d see each other at that dinner on Saturday, but that was hardly enough. Fine, he knew they’d screwed up, but two weeks?  So when his dad summoned him into the living room again, with that tone of voice that said they were going to have another serious talk, Kurt wasn’t sure if he could handle it. 

“Dad—I know I was in the wrong here, okay?  And you’ve already punished me.  Can we just leave it at that for now?”  He wanted nothing more than to retreat to his room and have a good sulk.

“This isn’t about punishing you, Kurt.  But we need to talk.”  His dad’s voice was quiet but said plainly that he wasn’t getting out of this one. 

Kurt didn’t even try to hold back the sigh, just pushed himself away from the door and walked slowly to the couch.  He heard his dad telling Carole that he’d be up in a few minutes.  He dropped down to the couch and slumped, not caring about his posture for once.  He didn’t look up when his dad sat next to him, only seeing out of the corner of his eye that his dad leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. 

“You wanna tell me about this Sebastian character?”

“What?”  That was not at all what Kurt was expecting.  But he could tell that his dad expected an answer. “We already told you, he’s in the Warblers, he told us about Scandals, he got us the IDs.” 

“Yeah, and I saw the look on your face when his name came up.”  His dad turned his head to meet Kurt’s eyes directly.  “You don’t like the guy.  But you let him talk you into something you knew you shouldn’t do.  I wanna know why.” 

Trust his dad to ask the one question he really didn’t want to answer.  Kurt let his head flop onto the back of the couch, looking at the ceiling.  “Sebastian was….”  Damn, he really didn’t want to say it.  “He was coming on to Blaine, ok?”  He finished in a rush. 

It took a moment for his dad to answer.  “OK.  And?” 

Kurt kept his eyes focused upward, and made a mental note to tell his dad that the ceiling needed a new coat of paint—but later, when he wasn’t in this precarious position.  He finally lifted his head to look at his dad.  “And I guess I was feeling insecure.  And Blaine and I had just been talking the day before about all the things we want to cross off our bucket list, all the things we want to do together.  I was afraid that Blaine really did want to try out the bar. And……and if I didn’t want to, he’d go with Sebastian.”

His dad’s face was hard to read.  “And did Blaine say that he wanted to go to the bar?”

“Well…..no.  He said it wasn’t really our thing.” 

“You said Sebastian was coming on to Blaine.  Did Blaine seem interested in him?” 

“Well, I wasn’t there for the whole conversation.  But when I walked up, Blaine was telling him about me.”  His dad’s eyebrows raised.  “Look Dad, in retrospect I know that I shouldn’t have felt threatened by Sebastian.  Blaine and I talked it out, I know he cares about me.”  Loves me, he thought to himself but wasn’t sure his dad was ready to hear that.  And they’d done more than talk, but his dad definitely wasn’t ready to hear that. 

“So you’re telling me that all this happened because you were feeling insecure.”  Kurt wasn’t sure if his dad was more or less annoyed now. 

“Mostly.  I told you, I realize now it was stupid.” 

“Hmm.  Well, I may have been known to do a few stupid things for a girl when I was your age.  Can hardly blame you for being a typical teenage boy—well, except you’re falling over yourself for another boy.”  His dad said this with an easy smile, letting Kurt know he didn’t mean it as a jab. 

“Yeah, there is that small difference,” Kurt smiled back.  He pushed himself upright.  “Are we done, Dad?”

“One more thing.”  What now? 

“You said you went to Scandals _mostly_ because you were feeling insecure.  What was the rest of the reason?” Kurt was silent for a moment, trying to think how to explain to his dad, when he spoke again.  “Was it true what Finn said?  That you and Blaine feel like you can’t relax around others, even at home? I watched you on that video, Kurt.  I’ve never seen you two look that relaxed here.”

“Well, I agree with Finn that you can be intimidating, Dad.  And by the way, I was really impressed that he used the word ‘intimidating.’” His dad snorted quietly.  “I know Blaine’s scared of you.”  This time the expression on his dad’s face made Kurt think that he was secretly pleased and giving himself a mental pat on the back for doing his job as a father. 

“But Finn was right about something else, Kurt,” his dad told him.  “I react that way because you’re my son, and regardless of you being a legal adult, you’re still my baby.”  Kurt gave an obligatory eye roll at this, though the warm feeling in his chest belied it.  “I don’t react that way because you’re dating a boy.  I might still be working on being completely comfortable with the idea of you being in a--” he seemed to brace himself, “--sexual relationship with another boy, but I don’t ever want you and Blaine to feel like you can’t be yourselves here.” 

Kurt took a moment to just look at his dad, to study his face and see how much he meant it.  He knew this wasn’t easy for him—his dad pretty much admitted to being a homophobe himself in his younger days.  But his dad was trying.  He always tried so hard. Kurt finally nodded.  “Thanks, Dad.”  He leaned forward to give him a hug. 

He drew back, dropping his hands to his lap and looking at them for a moment before deciding the moment was right.   “Umm, Dad?  I wanted to tell you something else.”  Raised eyebrows were the only response.  “I, umm…..I saw Karofsky.”

Instantly his dad tensed.  “Where?  Did he come after you again?”  He looked ready to fight.

“No, Dad, it was nothing like that,” Kurt hurried to reassure him.  “I saw him at Scandals, and we just talked.  It was a good conversation, actually.” 

His dad looked skeptical.  “So he’s out now?” 

Kurt sighed.  “Not really.  I mean, he was at a gay bar, so he’s out there at least. And he’s out to himself, which can be the biggest coming out of all.  But I don’t think he’s told his parents or anyone else.”    

His dad looked thoughtful. “So this was a good thing?  You’re glad you saw him?”

“Yeah.” Kurt only realized when he said it how much he meant it.  “In spite of all our—history, I never wished bad things for him.  I was glad to see that he’s doing well.  And he’s working on coming out, Dad.   Very slowly, but he’s working on it.  I think he’ll be okay in the end.”

His dad shook his head.  “You’re more forgiving than I would be, Kurt.” 

Kurt shrugged.  “What good would it do to be bitter?”  He started to get up, feeling sure now that they were done. 

“Speaking of being forgiving, and not bitter—“

Kurt paused.  “Yeah, Dad?” 

“I need your phone.”

“Oh, right.”  Kurt sighed and pulled his iPhone out of his pocket. He switched it off, noting that he had three new texts that he wouldn’t be able to read, and handed it to his dad.   “Goodnight, Dad.” 

“Goodnight, Kurt.” 

Kurt gave one last look at the phone in his dad’s hand before standing and walking away.  There was no need for his dad to know that that longing look was just for show—Blaine was already on his way to buy him a prepaid disposable phone. 


	4. Chapter 4

"Kurt, I really don't think this is a good idea." Blaine had been trying to talk him out of it since lunchtime, because he couldn't see it leading to anything good.

"She crossed the line." Kurt continued his single-minded progress through the chaos of everyone leaving after last bell.

"But that's what she does." Blaine caught his arm, finally forcing him to turn and look at him. "She crosses all the lines, she attacks everyone. What makes you think that storming into her office and confronting her will change anything?"

"It won't. But not saying anything, it's like telling her that it's okay. And I can't live with that. She attacked us, Blaine. She attacked my dad, and I can't just let that slide." He pulled away and entered the office without knocking. Blaine followed, resigned now. They were about to confront a teacher. A volatile, possibly even sadistic teacher. This would never happen at Dalton.

"Coach Sylvester." Kurt's voice rang out loud and authoritative in the office crowded with trophies and exercise equipment.

Sue didn't even look up from where she was writing in a book. "Porcelain."

Blaine watched as Kurt picked up a framed picture from Sue's desk, planting one hand on her desk and with the other, shoving the picture under Sue's face where her eyes were still fixed on her writing.

"Look, Coach. Look at Jean. You remember-your sister. The one you're supposedly honoring with your campaign." He noticed that Kurt's voice was shaking and stepped closer. He really didn't want to be here, but Kurt seemed determined to follow through and Blaine was determined to support him—and pull him down quickly if trophies were turned into projectiles.

Sue went still as she registered what she was seeing just inches from her face. Slowly, she put her pen down and took the picture from Kurt's hand. She looked up. Her voice when she spoke was soft, controlled, but just as menacing as any scream through a megaphone.

"Don't talk to me about my sister. You're not worthy to even say her name." Her voice broke just a little on the end.

Kurt straightened up. "You loved your sister, Sue. More than anything." He'd lowered his voice too. Blaine wasn't sure what he'd been expecting when his boyfriend invaded the office, but it hadn't been this. "And your platform to improve special needs education in the schools? That's a great way to honor her memory. But running a smear campaign, Sue?" Kurt wasn't stopping, though he still hadn't raised his voice. "Going after students who, in their own way, are different and outcast, just like Jean was? Do you think she would be proud of you for this?"

Sue found her voice, rough though it was. "Porcelain, I want you and your automaton of a boyfriend out of my office. Now. Before I report you both to Figgins for inappropriate conduct toward a teacher."

"Kurt." Blaine put a hand on his arm. "C'mon, let's go." Kurt's eyes didn't leave Sue's as he backed away. What was this, a high stakes game of Owl? What was each of them hoping to prove if they didn't blink first? Blaine tugged on his arm a little more insistently, finally getting him to turn away. He had gotten them as far as the door when Kurt turned back to address Sue again.

"Hey, Coach?" Please Kurt, don't push it, Blaine prayed silently. "You know how you told Finn and I to throw away your sister's things?"

"I remember."

"We didn't." Blaine watched her eyes widen, just the tiniest show of emotion. "There are several boxes with your name on them in my family's attic. One day you're going to want those memories of Jean. And when you're ready, those boxes will still be there."

Blaine took advantage of Sue's speechlessness—only temporary, he was sure—to pull Kurt out of the office and close the door behind them.

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finn was sitting in the choir room talking to Rachel, other Glee members around them talking in pairs and threes, when Kurt and Blaine came in just as rehearsal was due to start. He figured they'd come in at the last minute, since they'd probably found some closet to make out in—that's what he'd do if Burt forbid him to see Rachel outside school for two weeks. But no…..they didn't look like two guys who'd just been all over each other. Kurt had his bitch face on and Blaine just looked worried. They took seats at the far end of the row and put their heads together, whispering quietly. OK, so it didn't look like they were fighting.

"Finn! Are you listening?" Rachel demanded.

"Huh?" He looked back at his girlfriend. "Oh yeah, totally listening."

"No, you weren't." Damn, she didn't buy it.

"Sorry…." Finn said, groping for an excuse. "It's just…..I'm worried about Burt's campaign, you know? I heard him tell mom this morning that the new poll numbers will be out this afternoon and he's expecting to lose some points."

"Oh, speaking of the campaign….." Rachel had her fanatical face back on. That was fine as long as she'd forgotten to be annoyed with him. "After you called last night, I spent hours going through my songbooks to find an appropriate song for us to sing. I wanted something that would speak to forbidden love, without being too over the top-" Finn tuned her out for a moment because wow, Rachel was trying to be anything other than over the top? "So what do you think?" Rachel finished.

"Sounds great, Rach." Finn had no idea what he'd just agreed to sing. He'd find out when he got the sheet music. Where was Mr. Schue? They were supposed to start rehearsal five minutes ago. He looked to the door, but instead of their teacher, Puck was strolling in. He went straight to Kurt and Blaine.

"Dudes…..really? Why didn't you come to me?" Identical looks of confusion answered him. Puck explained as if to small children, "When you need fake IDs, you come to the Puckmeister. You don't trust anyone else."

"Great, Puck. We'll keep that in mind the next time we want to break the law…which will probably be never," Blaine responded. Kurt nodded.

"Besides, I thought you were cleaning up your act these days. Trying to be an upstanding citizen for Beth and all that," Kurt said.

"Hey, I'll do anything for the little Duck. But I have a couple dozen fake IDs left over from my enterprising days, and eight days' worth of Hanukkah presents to buy this year." Puck lit up as he spoke of his daughter. Finn never would have expected Puck to go that mushy over anyone. "So anyone wants to take those IDs off my hands, I could use the money."

"Duck, Noah?" Quinn's mocking voice came from the back row. "Really? What is that?" The choir room fell silent.

"It's what I call her, Quinn. Kinda matches, don't you think? Puck, Duck. Kids need those nicknames that only their parents call them." Finn didn't dare turn around to see Quinn's reaction. "You could pick a nickname to call her, if you'd just get your act together."

Chairs scraped and then Quinn was shoving past Rachel on her way out the room. She passed Mr. Schue as he came in, causing him to turn and look after her.

"What's wrong with Quinn?" he asked the room at large.

"Mama drama." Tina was the first to answer.

"What else is new?" Artie added.

"Oooohkaaay," Schue said dubiously. "Well, let's hope she calms down and comes back before rehearsal's over. In the meantime, I'm sorry I'm late, I was dealing with some issues with Mr. Hummel's campaign."

"Please tell me you able to get the ad pulled," Kurt said.

"Fortunately, yes," Mr. Schue responded.

Finn breathed a sigh of relief and looked over to the end of the row, to see his stepbrother rest his forehead on Blaine's shoulder, slumping over for a moment.

"So those of you who know what I'm talking about—"

"Uh, that would be everyone?" Mike interjected.

Rory spoke up. "I know I'm the new guy here, but it didn't take long to figure out…..there aren't many secrets in Glee club."

"OK, so everyone knows what I'm talking about," Mr. Schue continued. "I need you two, and you two," he pointed to Finn and Rachel, then Kurt and Blaine—"to stay after rehearsal so we can work on your performances for the dinner this Saturday. Have you picked your songs?"

"Yeah, and we won't need a pianist," Blaine said. "I'm bringing my guitar."

"And for Finn and I-" Rachel began.

"Hold on a second, Rachel," Schue interrupted. He walked to the end of the row. "Blaine, is there going to be a problem with your parents allowing you to attend the dinner? What was their reaction to the ad?"

"They're out of the country at the moment," Blaine answered.

"Again?" Kurt asked.

"At the moment, I'm glad to have absentee parents." Blaine looked back at Mr. Schue. "Unless Sue's ad aired on the French Riviera, they haven't seen it. I talked to them this morning and they didn't mention it, so I don't think anyone's told them."

"Dude, your parents are out of the country? And lemme guess, you have a huge house. Why haven't you thrown a party?" Puck asked.

Mr. Schue looked like he was about to issue a reprimand, but Finn beat him to it. He turned to address Puck, sitting behind him. "There's more important stuff going on here."

"And I think we've pushed our luck enough," Kurt added.

"Agreed," Mr. Schue said before turning to the rest of the Glee club. "For the moment, let's put this aside and focus on getting ready for Sectionals. Does anyone have suggestions for our set list?"

Finn jerked away to avoid being hit as Rachel's hand shot in the air.

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had taken nearly two hours to drive from Lima to the Hilton in Columbus, but Kurt hadn't minded. The number of people and the boxes of campaign paraphernalia meant that they had to take at least two cars, and both pairs of teens had argued for driving themselves on the pretext that they could use the drive for last minute rehearsal time. So after two hours of alone time with his boyfriend—two hours more than they'd gotten all week—all three cars pulled into the parking lot and everyone helped bring the boxes inside. An hour later, they were almost finished setting up when he heard Rachel squeal across the banquet hall.

"Daddy! Papa!" He looked over to see her hug both her fathers. He'd met them of course, had spoken to them quickly after Glee performances or when Rachel hosted one of her end of summer parties, but didn't know them well.

"I didn't know her dads were coming," he said to Finn, who was pulling out a chair to sit and retie his shoelaces.

"They weren't at first," he answered, gaze directed down. "But when Burt asked us all to sing something they wanted to come and hear her."

"But I thought this event was sold out? Dad was so happy that it filled up, he was telling me about it last week."

"That was before Sue's ad." Finn straightened up, and caught the look on Kurt's face. "He didn't tell you?"

Kurt looked across the banquet hall, at all the long tables set with ivory tablecloths and elegant floral arrangements. How many seats were there? 200? 250?

"How many?" he asked. "How many pulled out?"

"Not that many." Finn must have realized he was upset. "A dozen or so? Not bad for a dinner this big. And those seats got filled up again, so it's all cool."

"What's all cool?" Blaine walked up. As preoccupied as he was, Kurt had to admire—again—how good Blaine looked in a suit.

"Finn was just telling me that this event lost about a dozen supporters after Sue's ad aired," Kurt filled him in briefly. "But Dad was able to sell them again?" he asked, turning back to Finn.

"Well, a few of the ones on the verge of pulling out, he was able to talk them into coming. But the ones who did cancel, I think you have Rachel to thank for fixing that."

"Rachel?" Kurt and Blaine blurted out at the same time.

"Well, Rachel and her dads," Finn nodded to where she was talking to her parents, gesturing at the stage. "Rachel told them what happened, and her dads called Burt to buy two seats for themselves. And they said they might have a few friends who'd be interested in buying tickets. I think their friends filled up all the empty seats."

Kurt looked at Blaine, seeing the same relief that he felt. Visions of the banquet hall being half empty faded.

"I think we should go over and thank the Berrys," Blaine suggested.

They were still talking with Rachel's parents a few minutes later when attendees began to arrive. The next hour turned into a flurry of introductions, small talk, and a few uncomfortable moments when he was asked about Sue's political ad. He and Blaine got separated in all the confusion, but every time he was able to see his boyfriend it looked like he was working the crowd just as Kurt was. They'd been briefed by his dad on how to handle the questions about their illicit trip to Scandals.

"Don't try to deny it or lie about it," his dad had said. "Not much point in that. Just be cool about it, you're two teenagers who pushed the limits and got punished for it when you were caught. And be sure to say I punished you, Kurt. It might be embarrassing for you, but it's important for the voters to know you paid for your mistake." He had asked Blaine about his parents' reaction to the uproar and if he'd been punished as well, but Blaine pointed out that Burt's grounding of Kurt punished both of them, so he could give the same answer.

Some people didn't know about the ad, Kurt could tell. They only commented on his dad's campaign, and asked Kurt about his own involvement in school arts programs and how that influenced his dad's decision to run for Congress. To those questions he could answer honestly that Glee Club had made a huge difference in his life and helped him through some rough times in high school.

To the people who did ask about Sue's political ad, Kurt would put on a guilty look and say "yeah she caught me. And believe me, my dad's making me pay for it!" A few people just chuckled and launched into an anecdote about their own teenage hijinks. Others asked if he'd learned his lesson.

Only one attendee—an older lady wearing an atrocious outfit composed of flower prints and lace, topped by a truly unforgiveable hat—gave him a severely disapproving look and asked directly what he was doing in a gay bar. He responded simply that he was gay and wanted to be around like-minded people. She flounced away with a snooty huff and Kurt sighed, reminding himself that he hadn't expected this evening to pass with no disapproval at all. Honestly, he was surprised he hadn't encountered more reactions like hers, but the truly narrow minded were probably the ones who'd refused to attend at all.

It was a relief when Mr. Schue—here in his capacity as campaign manager—announced through the microphone that it was time to sit down for dinner. He knew that he and Blaine were sitting at the same table and though they would still have to play their parts with the other people at their table, at least they'd have the support of sitting next to each other. He pulled out chairs for two ladies—sisters by the looks of them—before taking his seat next to Blaine and reaching for his hand under the table.

As others took their seats, Blaine pointed to the next table where a little girl of about seven was sitting in her father's lap. She was wearing a long black dress that was a junior imitation of her mother's black evening gown.

"Wonder what she's doing here," he murmured to Kurt. "Not exactly a kid's event."

Kurt shrugged, though it did seem odd. "Babysitter canceled?" he theorized. "Nice dress though. Someone's trying to look like a big girl."

At that moment his dad spoke into the microphone.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Good evening, everyone, and thanks for coming. I'm not much of one for speeches, and I'm sure everyone wants to get to dinner, so I'll keep this short for the moment. I just want to introduce a few special people who are here with me tonight. If they'd just stand up when I say their names." Burt looked to his wife first, then glanced into the crowd to meet Kurt's eyes. They knew this would be a pivotal moment. He'd seen all the kids socializing with the voters and knew they could present themselves well when needed, but this would be different.

"First of all, my wife Carole." She stood up from the head table and smiled at the crowd. "The one who supports me and reminds me of what's important when I forget. My son Kurt, who's here with his boyfriend Blaine-" there was a murmur from the crowd as the pair stood up, their hands already linked, and waved, looking nervous behind their smiles. Burt ignored the undercurrent of talk spurred by his introduction of the couple and went on. He and Will had discussed the best way to do this, and agreed on this order for the introductions. "And my son Finn, here with his girlfriend Rachel." Finn stood up, towering over Rachel who linked her arm through his and beamed as though it were a crowd of admirers just for her. "All four of these kids are in the McKinley High Glee Club, directed by none other than my campaign manager, Will Schuester." Will stood up and nodded acknowledgement to the crowd. "I consider my sons and their friends to be living examples of the difference the arts can make in a kid's life. And they're going to be performing for you at the end of dinner. And now, I think we should all dig in to this nice meal, which my wife is very relieved she did not have to cook-" Several people chuckled. "—before it gets cold. Everyone enjoy."

Burt only sat at his table long enough to talk with the people seated there before leaving it to Carole to continue in his place, then started circulating through the room. He tried to stop at each table, taking extra care to speak to those attendees who he knew he hadn't already met during the pre-dinner hour. He'd fielded a few questions or comments about Sue's infuriating ad, but overall this evening was going better than he'd hoped.

He left one table where the Chamber of Commerce President had asked him about his garage, and how he'd adapt his small business practices to representing his state in Congress, to approach the table where Finn and Rachel sat. He stepped between them and laid a hand on each of their shoulders.

"How's it going, kids?"

"Great, Mr. Hummel!" Rachel spoke up before Finn could swallow his food to answer. "I've just been telling everyone here about my NYADA application, and how Kurt and I plan to be roommates in New York."

"And do you approve of this plan, Mr. Hummel?" a middle aged man in a navy blue suit asked. "Sending your son and this young lady off to New York to room together? Don't you worry about them?"

"Do I worry about two kids in a big city? Of course." Burt could tell from the man's expression that city safety wasn't what the man meant with his question. "But my son's been talking about going to New York for years now. So has Rachel. And I know better than to stand in their way. In just a few minutes you'll hear them sing, and you'll realize how talented they are." He shifted his attention back to Finn and Rachel. "You kids ready to knock 'em dead?"

"I'm always ready," she answered promptly. Finn just nodded. "We should go get ready," she said to him. "We're up first."

Burt gave them room to get up and said, "Break a leg, kids. I'll go make sure Kurt and Blaine are ready."

Rachel was already walking away, focused on the wide podium that served as a stage. Finn wiped his mouth before hurrying after her.

"So your son and his…friend are singing together?" the same man at the table asked. Burt saw several others listening intently for his answer.

"Yeah. They are," he answered briefly. "If you'll excuse me, I need to let them know it's almost time. Enjoy the music, everyone."

It occurred to Burt rather belatedly that he hadn't asked either of the young couples what they planned to sing. Despite years of living with a music fanatic like his son, his own musical tastes were still pretty limited, so he left such choices to others. But Will had helped them prepare and he would have stopped them if they were planning anything inappropriate, right?

He made his way over to his son's table, seeing that Kurt looked in need of rescuing. He was smiling, but it was beginning to look a bit forced.

"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen." Everyone looked up. "I need to borrow these two young men. They're part of your entertainment for this evening and they need to get ready. If you're finished eating?" he asked, looking at the boys.

"Yeah, Dad. We're done," Kurt answered, taking his napkin from his lap. Blaine stood even more quickly, both boys looking relieved at the interruption.

"If you'll excuse me, I just need to have a word with these two about their performance," Burt told the table. He headed toward the podium, walking through the opening in the heavy curtain hung behind it. They were far enough away from the crowd that no one would hear them.

"How you holding up, boys? Any problems tonight?" he asked them. He watched a look pass between them.

"Nothing major, Dad. One old lady got a little huffy with me, but watching her hobble away is a lot easier to take than being slushied or slammed into lockers."

Burt just nodded. He knew some of what his son had been through at school. One woman's disapproval was nothing in comparison. He looked at Blaine.

"I've run into a few people that know my parents," Blaine admitted reluctantly. "They accused me of tarnishing the family name and I'm pretty sure someone will find a way to contact my parents now. But other than that, everything's going ok. No one's been nasty to me about the commercial or anything."

"All you kids are doing a great job," Burt said. "Right now, just focus on getting up there to perform. I know you know how to do that. And after that, this evening won't last much longer."

Will walked out from behind the heavy velvet curtain. "Burt, I have Finn and Rachel in the smaller room back there warming up. These two need to warm up next."

Burt nodded assent and clapped his son on the shoulder as he walked by. "Break a leg."

He watched them disappear behind the curtain and took a breath, preparing to return to the crowd and play politician again. He stopped in the middle of turning back to the room when Finn and Rachel came out.

"All warmed up? How's it going for you two?"

"Good," Finn smiled. "I've been saying good things about you all night."

"And I," Rachel said importantly, "have been talking about Glee Club and the Drama Department at McKinley, and how vital the arts are to everyone, not just high school students."

"Any comments about Sue's ad?" Burt asked.

"I had one man make an unsavory comment, but I offered to introduce him to my two dads and he decided to take his conversation elsewhere."

Burt grinned at that. He could imagine very well how that scene went down.

"I've just been telling anyone who asks how mad you were at Kurt and that you grounded him," Finn added.

"Alright, sounds good. You two better get out there and take your places. I think Will's planning to introduce you."

He watched them go through the curtain, and gave himself a moment to breathe before going back out there. He knew they wouldn't start till Will was there to introduce them anyway. He was about to step back out when the choir director said his name, prompting him to turn back.

Will Schuester was stepping out of the room where the kids had been warming up. He could hear Kurt's high voice carrying over Blaine's as they went through some sort of vocal exercises.

"Burt, I wanted to let you know that Kurt and Blaine just changed their song at the last minute. They asked Brad if he could sight read a different piece from what they'd planned."

"OK, I'll bite. Why?"

"The song they first chose has a romantic tone…..they, well mostly Kurt, was worried that it would be too much for the sensibilities of this crowd. He doesn't want to jeopardize your campaign if some of them might object to two boys singing a love song together."

Burt was already staring off into space as he thought. "Thanks, Will," he remembered to say.

He nodded and stepped back into the room.

Burt waited a few more minutes before the door opened again and all three came out, along with the McKinley accompanist who Burt knew by sight.

"Will, you go on out and introduce Finn and Rachel. She's probably about ready to do the introductions herself if she doesn't get on that stage soon. Boys, a word?" The two men walked away and Burt focused on the teenagers. "Will tells me you changed your song."

The two boys exchanged glances before Kurt answered. "Yeah, Dad. We just thought our first choice was too risky."

Burt snorted. "Is it loaded with cuss words? Advocate baby sacrifice? Is it pro-war?" Flabbergasted looks answered him. "Sing the song you planned, boys. The audience will just have to deal." He turned and walked through the curtain just as Will was speaking into the mike. He returned to his table, putting a hand on Carole's shoulder and leaning down to whisper in her ear. "I might have just done something really risky."

Taking her cue from his barely-audible whisper, she only raised her eyebrows in response.

"We'll find out when the boys sing." Burt turned his chair to have a clear view of the stage, muttering, "Here goes."


	5. Chapter 5

  
"What do you think?" Blaine asked him after his dad disappeared through the curtain.

Kurt took a breath, feeling jitters in his stomach that had nothing to do with stage fright. "I think…..that I don't want to spend our lives hiding. But I don't want to risk my dad's campaign." He looked into his boyfriend's eyes. "I don't know."

Blaine stepped closer. "I don't want us to hide either. And your dad just said it was okay." He looked down for a moment, speaking to his shoes. "I don't have the support from my dad that you do from yours." He looked back up, his hazel eyes serious. "I'd give anything to have that. You know your dad has your back, no matter what. I think….it'd be a shame to not let him."

Kurt stared into his eyes for a moment before nodding. Blaine lifted up on his toes to give him a quick kiss. "I'll get my guitar."

Kurt waited for him to reappear before they went through the curtain together. He stepped to the piano at the end of the stage, speaking to Brad briefly, who nodded in acknowledgement.

On the stage, Mr. Schuester was announcing, "And so, I give you members of McKinley High's New Directions. First up, Finn Hudson and Rachel Berry."

Polite applause from the audience as Finn and Rachel mounted the stage.

Kurt leaned to speak in Blaine's ear. "Finn told me he had to talk Rachel out of making a big speech before this. He finally convinced her to let the song speak for itself."

"What song?" Blaine asked, just as Brad played the opening notes. "Oh. This is Rachel trying to make a statement?"

"Apparently." Kurt rolled his eyes, though he did appreciate the intent behind Rachel's gesture.

On stage, Rachel lifted a wireless mic and sang, "I am here to tell you we can never meet again."

Not a bad choice, Kurt thought. She obviously wanted to show her support for him and Blaine, but songs about gay relationships were rare. So she'd improvised with a song about a doomed interracial relationship.

Finn sang, "Every moment of my life, from now until I die, I will think and dream of you and fail to understand how a perfect love can be confounded out of hand."

Kurt reached out, seeking Blaine's hand till their fingers touched. He glanced at the audience to be sure no one was looking their way, even though from the audience's viewpoint their hands would be hidden between their bodies. A bit silly maybe, considering his dad had introduced them as a couple and no one had started yelling. But the self-defense mechanisms were firmly in place. Assured that everyone's attention was focused on the stage, he laced his fingers through his boyfriend's, gripping tighter.

"You are all I'll ever want, but this I am denied." Finn was singing to Rachel, his back to them. She was looking up, adoring yet suffering the injustice of a denied romance, playing her part in typical melodramatic style. "Sometimes in my darkest thoughts, I wish I'd never learned…." Rachel sang the next line with him. "What it is to be in love and have that love returned."

Kurt nudged with his shoulder, getting an answering nudge back as the last chorus began to crescendo. Finn and Rachel finished and the audience exploded in applause. Rachel's dads jumped up in a standing ovation.

"You sure about this?" Kurt asked under cover of the applause. "We both need to be sure. We can still change it. Brad has the other sheet music right there on the piano."

Blaine was watching the audience, but he stroked his thumb across Kurt's. "I'm sure." He looked at Kurt directly. "Let's show them that we're not just a couple of reckless teenagers who snuck into a bar. We're so much more than that."

"Let's go then." Kurt kept his hand in Blaine's as they stepped up on the stage.

Mr. Schuester was back at the front of the stage and Finn was setting two stools on the stage with mike stands. The boys took their places on the stools, Blaine with his guitar.

"And our next pair of performers, Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson. Enjoy, ladies and gentlemen."

Kurt looked at his dad briefly, then back at the boy next to him, who began with a series of gentle, rhythmic chords. Blaine had turned slightly toward him, and he turned in response as he began to sing, "Saying 'I love you' is not the words I want to hear from you. It's not that I don't want to, not to say but if you only knew how easy it would be to show me how you feel." Blaine joined him with the harmony part. "More than words are all I ever needed you to show. Then you wouldn't have to say that you love me, 'cause I'd already know."

Kurt's eyes dropped to Blaine's mouth, watching it move as his boyfriend sang. His hands were tapping unconsciously on his knees as his eyes traveled down to Blaine's hands on the guitar strings. He loved listening to him play, but sometimes watching him play was even more enjoyable. He looked back up to find his boyfriend's eyes on him as well, and their gazes locked as he sang the next lines directly to Blaine.

"Now that I've tried to talk to you and make you understand, all you have to do is close your eyes and just reach out your hand and touch me, hold me close don't ever let me go. More than words is all I ever needed you to show, then you wouldn't have to say that you love me, 'cause I'd already know."

As they let the last notes fade away, Kurt was focused back on Blaine's hands as he played the final chord. Then their eyes met and simultaneously they smiled, and that was when the clapping began. Kurt was vaguely aware that it was only a few people at first, then the applause built till it was almost as loud as it had been for Finn and Rachel. They finally looked away from each other long enough to stand up and bow. His dad gave him a thumbs-up and Carole was beaming. Rachel was jumping up and down next to her dads and Finn, who were cheering, but he expected approval from all of them.

Kurt scanned the rest of the crowd and saw most people were smiling. A few were clapping only perfunctorily, with uncertain expressions. He saw one wife, who was clapping loudly and smiling, elbow her scowling husband, who finally raised his hands to clap reluctantly.

Movement caught his eye in the back of the hall. A couple—in their forties maybe—were standing up from their table and gathering their coats. They left the hall, with the wife throwing a glare over her shoulder as they exited.

Kurt glanced at Blaine and saw that he'd noticed them too. He gave a small shrug of 'oh well.' They bowed once more before stepping off the stage, going to stand with his family. Carole gave them both a quick hug and told them their song was 'beautiful'. They turned back to the stage as his dad began to speak.

"I asked the kids to come here tonight to help me make the case for the arts in schools. Now, I want to make it clear that I'm not against other extracurricular activities in schools, like athletics, the debate team, foreign language clubs or anything else. I think our kids should have access to all those things, because they're figuring out who they are and what they want to do with their lives. But my opponent has tried to convince voters that the arts are a luxury, that we can't afford them in this current economic climate. I say that we can't afford to short our kids.

"Furthermore, should I win this Congressional seat, I would be more than happy to discuss with Sue Sylvester her plans for improving special needs education in the schools. All she has to do is call me. Her platform to improve services for that population is a great one, I just don't agree with the methods she's using to achieve her goal. Ask yourselves if Sue would be as willing to support arts education, if she wins the Congressional seat. Voting for Sue Sylvester is a win for Sue Sylvester. Countless others will lose out. Voting for me…..I promise you that I'll make it a win for our kids, and for all of us. Thank you."

Immediate applause followed, with his dad's most adamant supporters standing up. It went on till his dad spoke again.

"If anyone has any questions for me, I'll be glad to open the floor for those. Or stick around for a while. I'll stay as long as needed to speak to everyone. Thank you for coming and have a safe journey home."

More applause, and then most people started to gather their things. Kurt felt his shoulders slump in relief. This night could have gone really badly, but it looked like everything was turning out ok. A few comments or negative looks, even that one couple who'd walked out…..none of that was as bad as he had feared.

"I think we made it," he murmured to Blaine, who nodded. He looked relieved as well.

"Excuse me, boys." Kurt turned toward the voice. It was a gentleman who looked to be in his sixties, with a kindly smile.

"Yes sir?" Blaine answered first, going easily into well-raised-young-gentleman mode.

"I just wanted to say, that you two sounded great together." They both murmured thanks. "When I was growing up, I never thought I'd see the day when two boys could get up in front of an audience and sing a love song together." He paused, a small smile showing. "You ask me, it's about time."

"Thank you sir," Kurt answered. "That…that means a lot, to hear you say that." Especially from an older person, he thought to himself. He sensed that this man had something more to say, and waited.

"I had a friend in high school, who I think was probably gay. Probably is gay," he corrected himself. "I never asked him, we just didn't talk about it back then. We've gone our separate ways, grown apart…..but I saw him at our 40 year reunion and he had never married. I almost asked him then. Wanted to tell him it was fine with me, but…" He trailed off, shrugged helplessly. "I don't know why I didn't."

"You could always call him," Kurt said softly.

Blaine nodded. "It's never too late to be reach out."

"Maybe I will," he answered, smiling. "I'll tell him about you boys singing together. He always loved music. Whether he's gay or a confirmed bachelor, I think he'd like to hear about you two." He held out a hand to each of them, offering a last "Good job boys" before he walked away.

"Blaine!" Rachel's voice called from across the hall, which was less crowded now. "Can you come here a minute?" She was standing with her dads and two women, beckoning him over.

"Excuse me?" Kurt heard again a moment later. This time it was the little girl in the black evening dress that they'd noticed earlier. She approached him shyly, her mother standing back a few feet. The little girl said something, too softly for him to hear. He bent down as she pointed one finger unobtrusively in Blaine's direction. "Is he really your boyfriend?"

Kurt let a smile show on his face. "Yeah, he is."

Her eyes widened. "He's cute," she whispered. Kurt recognized girl-gossip mode when he saw it—Mercedes was his best friend after all.

"He is, isn't he?" Kurt whispered back. "I'm really lucky." She nodded fervently, and gasped. Kurt followed her gaze and saw Blaine coming back. She looked like she was backing off to rejoin her mother, but Kurt caught her hand. "Stay here, I'll introduce you. What's your name?"

"Paige," she answered softly, watching Blaine approach.

Kurt held on to her hand. "Blaine, this is Paige. She liked our song and really wanted to meet you." As he spoke, he held out the hand he was holding to his boyfriend, winking when he sent him an inquiring look. Blaine immediately took her hand and bent down, giving her his full attention.

"Miss Paige, it's lovely to meet you." He kissed her fingers lightly, causing her eyes to go even huger. "You liked our song?" Apparently speechless, she just nodded. Blaine smiled indulgently. "Well, we're glad you came." She nodded again.

"Paige, time to go," her mother said.

Blaine released the small hand and straightened. "Nice to meet you, Miss Paige."

She only nodded as she backed away. "Bye," she said with a wave as she returned to her mother.

"There goes the next generation," Kurt said as he watched them go. "The one that will hopefully grow up more tolerant and open minded than all the ones that went before."

"Not all the previous generations were homophobes and racists," Blaine pointed out, and Kurt knew he was thinking of the man who'd approached them. "And that next generation? I'm meeting another one tomorrow. The ladies who were with Rachel and her dads, they're a couple, and they have a seven year old son who wants guitar lessons. They were asking if I taught."

"A lesbian couple with a son? In Lima?" Kurt asked, astounded.

"Well, here in Columbus," Blaine admitted. "They're too far away for me to teach him, but I told them I'd meet with him once to assess his musical ability and could maybe recommend someone. I know a couple people here who play."

"Maybe there are more open gays in Ohio than I thought," Kurt mused as he noticed his dad walking up to them.

"Things are winding down here," his dad said to them. His jacket was open, his tie loosened. He looked tired but happy. "Got a few more people who want to speak to me, but there's no need for you kids to stick around."

"OK," Kurt acknowledged. "Is it alright for Blaine to drive me home, or should I go with Finn and Rachel?"

"About that," he regarded them for a moment. "You boys did a good job tonight. So I'm suspending your grounding Kurt, just for tonight."

"Really?" That was more than Kurt had hoped for. He looked at Blaine and saw a huge grin on his face that he knew was echoed on his own.

"Really," his dad answered. "But just for tonight. Your midnight curfew is still in effect, and if you come in even one minute late, you can add another week grounded. Understood?"

"Yeah, Dad."

"Completely understood, Mr. Hummel."

Finn and Rachel walked up. "Ready?" Finn asked.

"I told them already," his dad explained to them, "that I want all four of you kids to walk out together. See each other to your cars safely, and lock the doors as soon as you're inside. Then you can go your separate ways." They all nodded. "It's early yet, go out and have some fun, be back by curfew."

"Thanks, Dad," Kurt said, stepping forward to give him a quick hug.

"Yeah, yeah…..your punishment is back on tomorrow," his dad said gruffly. "You kids get."

They started to leave, waving to Carole across the banquet hall.

"And kids…." Burt stopped them once more. "Great songs."

Kurt was more relaxed than he'd been since first viewing that atrocious commercial in his dad's office. He reached out for Blaine's hand, holding it loosely as they followed Finn and Rachel through the lobby.

"Kurt, look." Blaine was inclining his head to the seating area across the aisle. The man who'd spoken to them inside was talking on the phone. Seeing the boys looking at him, he smiled at them one last time before they passed by, continuing out the doors and into the open air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The songs used are "More Than Words" by Extreme (band's official video is on youtube in full) and "Written in the Stars" from the musical _Aida_. If you want to search that one, I recommend the official video posted by DisneyonBroadway. It's not the full song unfortunately, but so much better quality than any of the amateur videos posted.


End file.
